St. John’s Women’s Basketball Head Coach Joe Tartamella announced the addition of Assistant Coach Vanessa Abel.
Abel arrives in Queens after spending the last six seasons at her alma mater, Duquesne, including serving as the Dukes’ Associate Head Coach in 2024-25. Abel previously served as an assistant coach at Western Michigan and Saint Francis in additional to being an accomplished player at Duquesne before advancing to play professionally in Europe.
“We can’t wait to have Vanessa join our staff,” Tartamella said. “Her wealth of experience and array of knowledge as a coach and a former player will help us develop our student-athletes on and off the floor.”
The Scottsdale, Pa., native spent six seasons as a member of Dan Burt’s coaching staff from 2019-2025. Abel arrived in Pittsburgh in 2019 where she spent five seasons as an assistant before being promoted to the role of associate head coach in 2024. She helped the guide the program to a pair of WNIT appearances and three 20-win seasons during her tenue.
While with the Dukes, Abel specialized in recruiting, player development and served as the program’s offensive coordinator helping guide the program to a pair of 20-win seasons and WNIT appearances over her last two years. Under her tutelage, Duquesne evolved in one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the country. In 2024-25, the Dukes ranked fifth in NCAA Division I with 10.0 made triples per game and second in 3-point attempts logging 31.1 per contest. The squad knocked down 341 3-pointers and scored 2,446 total points (71.9 PPG), which both marked program records.
In 2023-24, Duquesne was one of four programs to have six different players surpass the 1,000-point plateau. Abel was selected to Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Association (WBCA) Next Generation Institute, a high-level education program for experienced assistants, who aspire to be head coaches.
Abel played a major role in the development of Megan McConell, who was named Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year and a Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year finalist. The guard became Duquesne’s all-time assist leader and received a training camp invite from the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury.
Prior to Duquesne, Abel spent one season as an assistant coach at Western Michigan in 2018-19, landing the Broncos a recruiting class that ranked second in the MAC according to ASGR Sports.
Abel began her collegiate coaching career at Saint Francis (Pa.), where she was an assistant coach from 2016-18. While with the Red Flash, the program captured an NEC Regular Season and Tournament Championship and earned a berth into the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
An accomplished player, Abel led Duquesne to four 20-win seasons and WNIT appearances during her decorated career from 2009-13. The All-Atlantic 10 selection finished her career ranking top-10 in assists and 3-point percentage.
Following her time with the Dukes, she went onto professional in Europe making stops in Germany, Sweden and Romania prior to moving into a career in coaching.
Abel earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education in 2012 before garnering a master’s degree in sports leadership the following year, both at Duquesne.
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